


Something like Dating

by backtoblack101



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: And the team finds out, F/F, Humor, Totally not dating, but they're dating?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-06 23:32:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6774670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/backtoblack101/pseuds/backtoblack101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shaw wasn't an idiot. She knew they were dating. She'd known for a while actually but she figured as long as she didn't admit it then it didn't count, right? </p><p>Spoiler: they're totally dating and the team were starting to figure that out as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shaw

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this is my first Root/Shaw fic (actually it's my first POI fic) so I'm not sure I quite got their characters 100% but I'm sorry, I tried.
> 
> Also this is set sometime after they save Shaw from Samaritin.
> 
> Also, also I wrote this on my phone so any spelling mistakes are a) totally not my fault bc spell check is a bitch and b) maybe a little my fault.

Shaw wasn't an idiot. She knew they were dating. She'd known for a while actually but she figured as long as she didn't admit it then it didn't count, right?

See her general rule was 3 strikes and you're out, but the fourth time Root had shown up at her apartment (uninvited she might add) and pinned Shaw against the fridge, well... Why even have rules if you can't break them every now and then? Of course four had turned into five, then six, then seven, and then Shaw had forced herself to stop keeping count because honestly at that point she was just getting on her own nerves.

Plus Root knew better than to force the topic so really it was fine. Just sex and occasional flirtatious banter on missions. Even Shaw could handle that. Even she could pretend that wasn't dating.

Except Root brought her food. Like all the time. Well not all the time, but just enough for Shaw to feel like Root did it for more than just the thanks-for-the-steak-burger-sex she got afterwards. In fact Shaw had come back from a mission twice now only to find Root in her kitchen (again, uninvited) actually cooking her food. Like really, take out was one thing but this. Well... Even Shaw was having trouble reminding herself it was just sex.

That's not even the worst part though. You wanna know the worst part? The worst part was Shaw found herself doing nice things for Root too. Not buying her take out and cooking her dinner nice, but nice. Like remembering her birthday (or at least the date written on the more than likely forged birth cert) and buying her a new side arm. Or letting her crash at her place after a pretty nasty bullet to the shoulder and not even complaining when Root made herself at home in Shaws bed (okay well that's a lie, she complained a little, but then Root patted the empty space next to her and they'd had careful-of-my-shoulder-Sameen-sex which had pretty promptly shut her up).

They'd even cuddled once.

Actually fuck, no, Shaw hated that word. Cuddled. It sounded like a fungus that grew on out of date fruit or something. But the point is they had... Y'know. Held one another? That sounded worse. You get the point. It was on the third night of Roots pretty-nasty-bullet-to-the-shoulder-sleepover (because yes, Root had stayed a week, she may be a sociopath but she was hardly going to have Root fend for herself... God knows who'd wind up dead). They'd just had a quick two orgasms a piece round of oh-Sameen-seriously-watch-my-shoulder-sex and Root had been grumbling about wishing they'd raided that drug store earlier for some pain relief. Shaw had ignored her. She'd seen worse, and the bullet had been an inch and a half too far left to do any real damage anyway. Still though she kept complaining, and complaining, and complaining until -

"Can you not?" Shaw turned towards her (she always slept facing away, she had boundaries after all).

"I know, I'm sorry," Root was just as annoyed as Shaw by this point. "It's at that fun phase of the healing process where my entire arm hurts though," she admitted in her defense.

"I'll grab a compress." Shaw found healing bullet wounds were a lot like cramps sometimes, and a little heat could go a long way.

"I'm fine sweetie," Root reassured her, even going so far as to lay her good hand on Shaws arm. "Anyway I'm the one that ran out of cover to grab that laptop before checking if we'd taken down all the shooters," she reminded her. "At least next time I'll know to look left and right first." She even threw in her signature wink and Shaw couldn't resist rolling her eyes.

Shaw wasn't convinced. "You sure? Because next time you wince I'm snapping your neck."

"I'm sure," Root reassured her. "If you want to help though you could spoon me?" Her tone was teasing though something in her eyes was oddly sincere.

Shaw just groaned. "Shut up and go to sleep."

She turned away then, though she swore right before she did she saw something akin to disappointment flicker in Roots eyes.

The room was oddly silent for a moment and Shaw could swear she felt Roots eyes burning into her back. She ignored it. Eventually Root spoke again.

"Goodnight Sameen."

Shaw ignored her. Pretended to be asleep. It was a full five minutes before guilt (or at least the emotion she was calling guilt for now) got the better of her and she turned around.

She wasn't even sure how to go about this really. Eventually she settled on resting her head on Roots shoulder (the good one obviously) and throwing a tentative arm across her waist. Not so bad. After a minute (though it felt like a lifetime) she felt Roots arm wrap around her shoulders. Neither of them spoke.

Shaw quietly wondered if this meant she had to stop lying to herself about the whole dating thing now?

Probably.

* * *

* * *

 


	2. Fusco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fusco finds out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright I've decided to turn this into a lil 'everyone finds out' fic bc I've way too much free time now.
> 
> Hope you enjoy etc.

Lionel wished he'd never found out. Don't get him wrong, he was happy for them, and glad that after everything that happened to her Shaw seemed happy etcetera. Maybe not so chuffed that she'd found said happiness with a crazy lady that heard voices, but whatever, each to their own.

So yea, he was happy for them. Still though, he wished he'd never found out.

It had started when Finch called him around eleven. No greeting, just a brief, rushed explanation something along the lines of Mr. Reese, or Detective Riley, or whatever his name was today (Fusco honestly didn't bother keeping up anymore) needing his help but that he'd promised to deliver food to Shaw and Root on their stakeout and, well, everyone knew how Shaw got when she hadn't eaten.

Lionel was almost worried for Root's safety. Almost.

So being the great guy he was he'd gotten out of his sweats, back into his suit from earlier, and high tailed it to the nearest deli that he knew would still be open and knew did the pastrami Shaw liked. Then he'd high tailed it across town to where Finch said Thelma and Louise would be staking out the ex-wife of a French diplomat who was either plotting to kill her ex-husband, or whose ex-husband was plotting to kill her for fear she'd leak confidential information he'd shared with her during their marriage.

That had been where things had gone horribly wrong.

Honestly he only had himself to blame. He should have stopped when he'd noticed the way the windows of the stakeout car were fogged over. It was cold as hell out though and he just figured they'd turned up the air con. Plus, honestly, he'd been working a double homicide all day and more than anything he'd just been too tired to notice.

He definitely hadn't been too tired to notice Shaws bare ass greeting him when he'd opened the back door of the silver sedan though. Nope, he was pretty sure that image was burned into his brain for the rest of his living days.

"Awe jeez!" He shut the car door so quick he couldn't even be sure if he'd caught Shaws leg in the frame or not. Not that he cared. Who the hell got down and dirty on a stake out for Christ sake?

For a minute there was dead silence, then some quick rustling from the back seat accompanied by some smart remark from Root followed by a prompt "shut up" from Shaw that was just loud enough for him to make out. Then a minute later the front passenger door opened and there was Shaw, sitting in the passenger seat where she should have been two minutes ago.

"You want something Fusco?"

"Yea, to go back in time and ignore the phone call from glasses." He honestly couldn't even look her in the eye.

"Wow, could you imagine if it had been Harry that'd opened that door?" Root teased from the drivers side, though neither Lionel nor Shaw saw her humor.

For a second there was tense silence, then - "what's in the bags?" Trust Shaw to need nothing more than the promise of food to take her mind of an embarrassing situation.

"Your dinner," Lionel told her, still not meeting her eye.

"How sweet of you," Root cooed. "Though I think Sameen might be full after - oof."

Shaw pulled her elbow back from where it had connected with Root's rib cage and held her hand out expectantly.

"Y'know I don't need to hear any of that." Fusco was already backing away and shaking his head, refusing to hand over the take-out bags. "Bad enough that I had'ta witness it."

"Ever hear of knocking?" Shaw deadpanned.

"Ever hear of keepin' things professional on a stakeout?" Fusco shot back.

"Our number's sleeping," Shaw pointed roughly to the dark window of the penthouse suite.

"And in our defense we were cold," Root added, leaning over Shaw so Fusco wouldn't miss her shrug.

Shaw pushed her back roughly and rolled her eyes. "Now is that food for us or not?" She pointed at the bags, still not having forgotten their presence.

"Yea, big ones for you, small ones for coco puffs there," he huffed, begrudgingly handing the bags over and stepping away from the car quickly once Shaw had yanked them out of his hands.

"You can go now Fusco," Shaw ordered roughly, already ripping open the sandwich bag while Root gingerly grabbed her own take-out bag from Shaw's lap.

Fusco threw up his hands in defeat. "All that and not even a -"

"Thank you Lionel," Root interjected before he had a chance to finish his sentence. It sounded too sickly sweet coming from her though, it wasn't the same as what he presumed a thank you from Shaw would sound like (he was yet to actually receive one of course so that was just a guess).

"Yea whatever." He brushed them both off, already eager to leave so he could forget all about this ever happening.

"Oh and Fusco," Shaw's voice stopped him mid step and he turned back to her. "You tell a single person what you just saw and-"

"Yea, yea, you'll break my arms, knee cap me, then mount my head on a wall," he listed all her usual threats then rolled his eyes. As if he was going to tell anyone anyway.

"Worse," Shaw insisted. "I'll let Root decide what I do to you."

Root leaned over Shaw and smiled affectionately. "I've already got so many great ideas."

Fusco backed away just slightly. "You know what, you two were made for one another," he huffed, then he turned on his heel and left before they could say another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was fun. 
> 
> Also I'll probably be writing Reese next.
> 
> (Also lemme know what you think... Or whatever)


	3. Reese

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yea like Reese finds out. It's funny (or at least I think it is)

Reese had been trained in human behavior for years. He knew every flinch, blink, and twitch that could convey a persons real feelings. He could tell from the direction a persons eyes darted whether they were retrieving a real or imagined memory. He could deduce from a tapping foot or sweaty palms if someone was about to break in an interrogation. Yes, Reese was highly skilled when it came to reading people and finding out the truth.

As it turned out though none of this was necessary when it came to figuring out Root and Shaw.

In fact, as it turned out, for an expert hacker and ex-assassin for higher, and an ex-government operative Root and Shaw were anything but skilled when it came to hiding the truth.

(A troubling thought really considering they were currently in the midst of a secret war between two opposing ASI's.)

This inability for either of them to hide the truth was especially prevalent of course when it came to hiding what was so very obviously going on between them. In fact their tells were so apparent John on occasion found himself hiding a smirk behind his hand to prevent them realizing that he'd been watching.

Some tells were more obvious than others of course. Like how Shaw no longer flinched quite as much.

When they'd first started working together Shaw had practically attacked Root anytime she'd so much as toyed with the idea of encroaching on Shaw's personal bubble. Then gradually she'd stopped attacking, and instead she'd replaced it with gentle swats and half hearted shrugs. At first Reese hadn't been able to figure out if this was Shaw warming up to the group on a whole, or if it was Shaw warming up to Root.

Then one evening Fusco had thrown an innocent arm across Shaw's shoulder when the three of them had gone out for drinks together and he'd ended up with a sprained wrist.

It was definitely just her warming up to Root.

Of course there were other tells too, the flirting on missions, the kiss before Shaw had saved the team and been captured by Samaritan, the way Root had lost the run of herself in the months after Shaw had gone missing.

He'd also liked to think that two people so set apart from the rest of humanity by what they'd seen and what they knew could in some small way find comfort in one another in a way he'd never really been able to find. He also remembered what Shaw had told him years ago about not doing relationships though, and it had always been that brief conversation on a Manhattan rooftop that had stopped him fully grasping what the two of them had with one another.

Until he'd stumbled across the answer one evening entirely by accident.

He was silent coming down the steps into the subway station, more of a habit than a precaution at this point, and as such not even Bear stirred when he stepped into the cavernous open space. It seemed empty at first, not shocking considering he knew Finch was out wrapping up one of their numbers, and he was just about to call Bear towards him when he heard it.

Giggling.

Then hushed voices coming from the alcove Root had claimed as her room.

Then another laugh, harsher this time and not entirely unlike -

"Sameen!" The voice speaking undoubtedly belonged to Root though it still took John a while to place. "Seriously stop that and answer me?" Although her voice was filled with laughter she sounded less unnecessarily teasing and more... Well, softer perhaps? He inched closer, deliberately quiet now.

"I already did like five times!" Shaw sounded just as irritated as ever (nice to know some things never change).

"A grunt and shrug doesn't qualify as answering my question Sam." Was Root giving out to Shaw? Why wasn't anything being broken yet? Like a lamp, or Root's arm?

"Well you're the one always claiming to know me so well, decipher my coded message." John would almost swear Shaw sounded teasing now. That couldn't be right.

"Well your classic grunt and shrug would suggest you don't care." Root obviously took the bait. "Though considering I'm asking you where you want to go for dinner I doubt somehow that you've not got an opinion on the matter. Now tell me, where do you want to go?"

"I. Don't. Know. Root." Shaw emphasized each syllable and John couldn't help but smirk. "Can't I just order take-out?"

"No, we've been living on take-out since I got back from my last mission, we need real food. I need real food." All of a sudden Reese felt uncomfortable. Root's casual use of 'we' left him feeling like he was evesdropping on a far more personal conversation than he'd first imagined. He wondered if it were too late now to make his presence known?

"Thai food is real food Root!" Maybe he could just slip out, though he'd come here for his spare side arm considering he'd lost one today when working a number, and he really didn't like to wander around the city without protection.

"Not when it comes in cardboard containers." Maybe he could get Bear to fetch it for him from his locker without attracting too much attention?

"Okay fine, how about I cook then?" Reese wasn't even aware Shaw knew how to cook based on how often she ordered take-out (and what he'd seen of the content of her fridge).

"Oh sweetie, you eat the food you don't cook it... Neither of us want food poisoning." That made more sense.

"Then you cook?"

"Why is it so difficult to get you to do anything social?"

Reese heard Shaw sigh, more exasperated than outright annoyed. "Root, you know eating out isn't my thing -" Reese could already hear Roots response to that comment, though Shaw beat her to it. "And don't you dare turn that into an innuendo."

"But sometimes you make it so easy."

"Listen are we getting food or not?" Shaw was evidently choosing to ignore Roots playful tone.

"Fine, fine, though we'll need to make a pit stop at a store."

"Can't you make the pit stop and I can wait here?"

"You're the one with a sudden aversion to eating out Sameen, we can go shopping together."

Shaw grunted, though obviously made some non verbal sign of agreement because a moment later Reese heard them moving about Roots room getting ready to leave. Reese quickly shuffled back towards the entrance to the subway. He positioned himself to look like he'd just entered the underground base, and walked back across the floor just as Root and Shaw emerged from the room.

"Hey, he greeted casually, stepping into the cavernous open space. He didn't miss how close Root and Shaw were standing, nor did he miss the way Shaw took a subconscious step away from Root's side when she saw him.

"Hey," Shaw returned the greeting, her usual gruffness back in her voice.

"Hey ya big-lug, how's saving the world going?" Root teased in response. John just ignored her.

He watched them walk to the subway entrance together, waiting until they were about to leave before speaking again.

"Oh, when you're at the shop could you pick me up some protein bars?"

Really he should feel more guilty about what he'd just overheard, though considering Shaw had bugged the entire team at one point or another and Root was well... Root, his guilt really didn't last that long. And anyway, the slight blush that crept up Shaws neck when she realized was more than worth it.


	4. Finch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finch finds out (obviously)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to OddEven16 for inspiring the idea for this chapter.
> 
> Also sorry for not writing it sooner, I just finished college so I've been looking for a job now that I'm an official adult (or whatever)

Finch was sure he'd told John once that Root was just as good at hacking people as she was at hacking computers. That had been several years ago now, and he was yet to be proven wrong.

Whether it be calling him Harry, casually intimidating Detective Fusco, or the way she teased John to the point of distraction, she certainly had a talent for it.

With Shaw however, Finch found she exceeded all expectations.

She had a particular skill for aggravating Shaw that she'd seemed to fine tune over the past few years. For a while Finch had been at a loss. For all of Shaw's behavioral quirks (at one point he may have considered them flaws but in the time he'd come to know her Finch had realized she was just as valuable an asset, and friend, as anyone else in his small group) she was not someone to be easily annoyed. Yes she had a temper, and a short one at that, but he found Root never quite made her angry. It was an impressive balancing act really, Roots uncanny ability to push Shaw yet never quite seeming to push her over the edge into outright rage.

He'd had his suspicions of course, as to why this might be, but it wasn't until one day months after Shaw had returned from Samaritans clutches, that he was able to put the pieces of the puzzle that was Root and Shaw's relationship into place - to see the wider picture so to speak.

"Finch," Shaw called out roughly, stalking across the cavernous floor of the station toward him, having just come in to help deal with the latest number.

"Ah, Ms Shaw, there you are. Our new number is -"

"How would you get a speck of dirt off your laptop screen?" Shaw cut in, completely disregarding whatever Finch was about to say.

Finch was caught off guard by this but he could tell from Shaw's unrelenting scowl that she expected an answer. "I suspect I'd wipe it with a cloth if it were just a speck?"

He could tell this wasn't the answer Shaw had necessarily wanted. "Okay, but if you saw someone else cleaning their laptop screen without a cloth what would you do?" She prompted then.

"Nothing I suppose," Finch shrugged, really more eager to get back to the new number.

"Thank you!" Shaw threw her hands up, obviously relieved by his statement.

"Everything alright Ms Shaw?" Finch rarely saw Shaw care this much about anything - except perhaps Bear, and food.

Shaw just shrugged. "Fine," she muttered, returning to her usual state of grumpy calm. "Now who's our new number?"

-.-.-.-

"Harry?" Finch startled only a little at Roots sudden presence by his side.

"Ms Groves." He looked away from his keyboard and up at her - met today with a curly blonde wig and a soccer jersey. "Dare I ask?"

Root shrugged and sat on the edge of his desk. "Coach has a thing for blondes," she explained, pulling the wig off to let her natural chestnut curls fall loose. "Not why I'm here though."

"Oh?" He really hoped she didn't require his help on another mission, trailing around after her really did take up a lot of his time.

"Have you been teaching Sameen incorrect methods for laptop screen care?" She asked casually, throwing the wig on the desk.

"Is this..." He paused, confused. "Is this in relation to my conversation with Ms Shaw this morning?"

"I don't know Harry... In that conversation did you tell her it was okay to wipe dirt off laptop screens with your bare hands?" Finch was starting to feel more and more like he was being interrogated.

"Well I..." Finch racked his brain trying to remember what he had said exactly - it'd been a long day. "I told her I wouldn't stop someone else doing it, if it were their laptop screen, though with my own I'd use a cloth."

Root just nodded. "I see." Then she stood suddenly and began walking away. "Thanks Harry."

-.-.-.-

"What the hell Finch?" Shaw stormed up to his desk.

"Excuse me Ms Shaw?" Finch could already tell what this was going to be about.

"Did you tell Root you didn't tell me it was okay to use my hands to clean a laptop screen?!" She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest and waited for his response.

Finch sighed, this was becoming ridiculous. "Ms Shaw I really don't want to-"

"Sameen, are you by any chance attempting to threaten Harry because he took my side?" Root's sing song voice echoed across the open subway floor.

"He didn't take your side," Shaw spat, turning on her heel to glare at Root.

"That's not what I remember happening." Root paused dramatically to think about it. "Nope, definitely not what happened."

"And since when are you always right?" Shaw sneered. Finch shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Root tapped the ear with the cochlear implant and smiled playfully. "Since always."

Shaw smirked back, much to Finch's surprise. "I think we both know that's not true."

Root's smile faltered only slightly. "That was different. No one should be able to eat eighteen deserts without vomiting."

Finch's eyes went wide and he turned to Shaw. She just shrugged. "They were small deserts."

"I won't press the matter further..." Finch assured, and Root took the opportunity to move the conversation back to the topic at hand.

"I'm still right about this though.." Shaw mumbled something incoherent that Finch didn't doubt for a second was a threat and Root's grin only grew. "If you wipe your screen with your hand it'll leave a -"

"Root if you lecture me one more time..." Shaw looked about ready to swing for Root all of a sudden and Finch pulled his chair in tighter to the desk just in case.

"Ms Groves, Ms Shaw if I may..." Finch cleared his throat reluctantly. "Is this really the time to be having this argument?" He motioned to the desk in front of him, littered in data and the photos of all recent numbers. "This is a place of work after all."

"I'm pretty sure it was Shaw that started it," Root (unnecessarily) reminded the room.

"It was my laptop and we were in my apartment," Shaw fired back without thinking. "Pretty sure you started it."

It was then that everything slotted into place for Finch.

"Well maybe if you'd just take my advice..."

"It's my laptop Root!"

The two were still arguing around him while he processed everything going on.

"And another thing-" Shaw began, though Finch beat her to the punch.

"Ms Shaw, Ms Groves if I may..." He looked between the two women, calculating his next sentence carefully. "This really isn't the time for a domestic argument."

Shaw's face turned to steel at his choice phrasing and Root... Well, Root looked positively delighted. Finch just turned back to his computer, waiting a second to be sure Shaw had been sufficiently shocked to silence before speaking again.

"Although I do find reaching a compromise can work in such a situation."

Shaw growled. "I'm going to kill you all." She turned on her heel and stalked towards the exit. "Slowly," she added over her shoulder, the word echoing in the cavernous space.

Root just smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also fun fact, it's totally possible to eat 18 (small) deserts without vomiting. I'm living proof of that, though I did have to lie down for a good half hour after.

**Author's Note:**

> You know the saying, the quickest way to Shaws heart is through food.
> 
> Anyway yea, I'm almost done college and since I'll have spare time now I'm considering turning this into a 'the entire team finds out they're totally dating' fic but idk????


End file.
